Hi
I have an appt with my GI doctor next week. For the past 3-4 years I have had rectal bleeding, assuming it is from my hemorrhoids(I have bad ones)...for the past three days, I have had pelvic pain. I am on Levaquin for a UTI, and my pelvic pain has seem to subside. But this morning, I had another bout of rectal bleeding.

In reading about Colon Cancer, pelvic pain presents in late stage colon cancer. Now I am very nervous.

FWIW, I had a CT Scan on Sunday, (to check for Kidney stones since I had a UTI) and it show no masses/tumors anywhere(I know Colon Cancer cannot be detected this way, but I would assume if I was late stage and it has metastised, it would show masses on distant organs)

I am going to assume he will send me for a Colonoscopy, can anyone tell me what that is like, how long it takes, what the procedure is like? And what should I expect when I meet with the GI doctor for the first time? Will he do a digital recatl exam? A sigmoidoscopy?

I'm glad you're getting it check out. The prep work (the day before) is the worst part of an colonoscopy. The day before your procedure, you will not eat, and you will drink a solution that will clean you out. This solution will have a bad taste, and you will need to be near a toilet.

The procedure itself only takes about 15 mins and you will be given a sedative that will either put you to sleep or make you very relaxed (the procedure is painless). Most people get results before they go home.

When you see the GI doctor for the first time, it's more of an question/answer session. The doctor may or may not do a digital or sigmoidoscopy.

People react differently to the prep. I've had numerous scopes and although it's not the nicest thing to do I don't have any complaints. Make sure to chill the prep drink if it's the one where you have to drink 4 litres. Some doctors use different methods such as pills or a single dose super laxative. The test can take up to 30 minutes depending what the doctor does. He may choose to remove a polyp or take some tissue for a biopsy. You'll be lightly sedated and won't feel anything. The sedative wears off quickly and you'll swear you were awake for the procedure! You'll experience some gas as your colon expels the air the doctor needs to pump in to do the scope. Really it's a very simple test and the best to see what's going on in there.